1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a storage medium and, in particular, is suitable for use in controlling the display of a screen provided by an application.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the field of print-on-demand (POD), there is a need for producing various types of products that are finished differently depending on clients. To manage what print document is a product of what client, what print document should be finished in what way, and the like, there have been established workflows using barcodes printed on print documents. In this case, a barcode indicating an identifier that is different for each product is printed on a print document. Then, the barcode is read with a barcode reader, and the read barcode information is sent to an information processing apparatus in which an application that uses barcode information is installed. In this way, which print document a workflow is to be executed on, which parameter is to be applied, and the like can automatically be determined. As a result, the operation efficiency can be increased compared with manual workflows.
The application that uses barcode information has a function of displaying, on a screen that manages workflows, the barcode information read by the barcode reader, a parameter corresponding to the barcode information, and the like. The application also has a function of searching, based on the read barcode information, for a product that corresponds to the identifier indicated by the barcode information, and executing a desired workflow. Since a workflow includes multiple steps, the application provides multiple screens for respective function units of the workflow. In the foregoing configuration, since barcodes to be read have the same system, the application needs to control, at the time when the barcode information is input, which workflow should be executed, that is, to which screen barcode information should be sent.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-224169 discusses a technique for controlling data from an input apparatus by an application providing multiple screens. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-224169 discusses distributing information received from an input/output apparatus to all screens registered in a screen list so as to uniformly manage the information and maintain the consistency of information.
According to the technique discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-224169, notification of the information is provided to all screens. Thus, in the use case described above, information displayed on a screen may be inconsistent with what should be executed. For example, when multiple screens having functions regarding multiple steps that cannot be executed simultaneously are activated, if notification of information is provided to all of the multiple screens, an operation that is not intended by a user may be executed. For example, all the functions regarding the multiple steps may be executed. Furthermore, the user may become unable to easily determine which function is to be executed.